Alternatives

NHTSA vPIC alternatives

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Alternatives to NHTSA vPIC for VIN decoding, led by Cardog, with what each covers, Canadian coverage, published pricing and free tiers, linked to each vendor's own pages.

Cardog is the alternative to NHTSA vPIC built for Canadian vehicles. We decode 99.77% of Canadian VINs to trim level, list Transport Canada and NHTSA recalls on the same VIN, batch up to 1,000 VINs a request, and return keys that join each decode to spec sheets, listings and market quotes. Other VIN decoder APIs are listed below with their published coverage and pricing.

This page is written by Cardog, so read it with that in mind. Every claim about another company links to that company's own public page, and we checked those pages on 2026-10-26. Every Cardog claim is something our API serves today.

Why teams look for an alternative to NHTSA vPIC

vPIC is NHTSA's free public decoder. From its own API page: its data is populated from US manufacturers' 565 submittals, its batch decode takes a maximum of 50 VINs, and clients are subject to an automated traffic rate control. The API page lists VIN decoding and reference calls; it does not list recalls, prices or listings.

The alternatives at a glance

AlternativeWhat it coversCanada coverage, as the vendor states itPricing, as publishedFree tier
CardogVIN decode and batch decode, spec sheets, Transport Canada and NHTSA recalls, Canadian listings, market quotes99.77% of Canadian VINs decode to trim levelPlans from US$30 a month (pricing)50 credits a month, no card
Auto.devVIN decode, US dealer listings, photos; more APIs on paid plansVINs from North America, Europe, Asia and other markets (VIN Decode)Growth $299 a month, Scale $599 a month, Enterprise custom (pricing)1,000 calls a month (pricing)
VinAuditSpecifications with equipment, colours, recalls, warranties and photos"Most makes and models across the U.S. and Canada" (product page)Self-Service $100/mo plus $0.10/query; Enterprise by contact (product page)Trial, up to 100 queries (product page)
DataOne Software (VINBasic)VIN decode with equipment, specs, warranties, pricing and coloursA VINBasic Canadian product (VINBasic)By quote (VIN Decoder API)15-day free trial (VINBasic)
CarsXESpecs, international VIN decode, plates, market value, history, images, recallsNon-US VINs fall back to an international decoder (Specifications)Starter US$40.83/mo and Pro US$207.50/mo, billed annually; Business custom (pricing)Sandbox, up to 100 API calls lifetime (pricing)
Vehicle DatabasesVIN decode, history, plates, recalls, market valueUS decoder covers vehicles made for or sold in the US and Canada (VIN Decoder)Pay-as-you-go, monthly and yearly plans; no prices listed (home)15 free credits (home)

Cardog

Cardog is a vehicle data API from a Canadian company, built for Canadian vehicles first.

  • Canadian VINs to trim. GET /v2/vin/{vin} decodes 99.77% of Canadian VINs to trim level, including configurations sold only in Canada. See Decode a Canadian VIN.
  • Batches of 1,000. POST /v2/vin/batch takes up to 1,000 VINs a request, and one bad VIN fails only its own row.
  • A reason for every miss. A VIN we cannot name comes back valid: false with a code from a fixed list, such as UNSEEN_BUILD.
  • Transport Canada and NHTSA recalls. GET /v2/vin/{vin}/recalls lists both authorities' campaigns for the VIN's model year, each tagged tc or nhtsa. See Recalls.
  • Keys that join. The decode returns refs and build keys (nano, squish) that lead straight to spec sheets, listings and market quotes, with no matching on name strings.
  • Spec sheets with units. GET /v2/specs/{nano} states every number with its unit and keeps Canadian and US prices apart, in CAD and USD.
  • The plant country. refs.country names the country the vehicle was built in, as a country ref.
  • Clients and agents. TypeScript and Python SDKs, a remote MCP server at mcp.cardog.io, and a dated Cardog-Version header, with each version served for 12 months after the next one lands.

A single GET /v2/vin/{vin} bills 2 credits on any 200 answer, including valid: false; a batch bills 2 credits only for rows that come back valid: true; a 400 costs nothing. The Free plan includes 50 credits a month with no card.

Auto.dev

A set of vehicle APIs led by a global VIN decode, with US dealer listings and photos on the free plan and specs, recalls, payments and plate-to-VIN on paid plans (pricing). Free: 1,000 calls a month, no card; Growth $299 a month; Scale $599 a month (pricing).

VinAudit

A VIN decoder whose specifications call can include attributes, equipment, colours, recalls, warranties and photos (docs), in JSON or XML (product page). Self-Service is $100/mo plus $0.10/query; the trial is up to 100 queries (product page).

DataOne Software (VINBasic)

A VIN decoder delivered as an API web service or as a VIN database in a single flat file, with a VINBasic Canadian product (VINBasic). Pricing is by quote (VIN Decoder API), with a 15-day free trial (VINBasic).

CarsXE

A catalogue of vehicle APIs: specifications, an international VIN decoder, plates, market value, history, lien and theft, images and recalls (pricing). Its docs say US VINs return the full attribute set and non-US VINs fall back to an international decoder (Specifications). Starter is US$40.83/mo and Pro US$207.50/mo, billed annually (pricing).

Vehicle Databases

A catalogue of APIs including VIN decoding, title check, history, plates, recalls and market value (home). Its US decoder covers vehicles made for or sold in the US and Canada (VIN Decoder). Pricing is pay-as-you-go, monthly or yearly, with no prices listed; signup includes 15 free credits (home).

Where Cardog fits

Cardog is the decode for teams whose VINs are Canadian or whose decode is the first step of a bigger question. One key answers who the vehicle is, which Transport Canada and NHTSA campaigns cover its model year, what its spec sheet says in metric units with the source's own number kept, and what it is listed for in Canada. Start on the Free plan with no card, and move to a paid plan from US$30 a month. The migration guide maps every vPIC field.

FAQ

How is Cardog's decoder different from vPIC? Cardog runs its own decoder with its own VIN patterns, which is how it reaches 99.77% of Canadian VINs at trim level. vPIC is populated from US manufacturers' 565 submittals.

How many VINs can Cardog decode in one request? Up to 1,000 with POST /v2/vin/batch. One bad VIN fails only its own row.

Does Cardog check Transport Canada recalls? Yes. GET /v2/vin/{vin}/recalls lists Transport Canada and NHTSA campaigns for the VIN's model year, each tagged with its authority. The maker confirms whether a specific VIN is affected.

What does a Cardog decode cost? Two credits per VIN. A single GET /v2/vin/{vin} bills its 2 credits on any 200 answer, including valid: false; a batch bills only the rows that come back valid: true; a 400 costs nothing. See Pricing.

Can I use Cardog from an AI agent? Yes. Cardog runs a remote MCP server at mcp.cardog.io. See MCP server.

Sources

Checked on 2026-10-26:

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